Posted On: July 27, 2015

Did you know that in 2008, the smoking prevalence among young adults in California declined to 13.4 ± 0.9 percent from the peak in 1999 of 18.8 percent? Or that African American young adults had the lowest current established smoking rate among all racial/ethnic groups? Now you can access all of these facts and more in the newly available California Tobacco Survey collection in the Library’s Digital Collections (http://library.ucsd.edu/dc/object/bb5086895c). Not only are the reports available; the data itself is downloadable.

The surveys go beyond simple smoking statistics. They explore the impact of tobacco advertising, and investigate the behaviors and attitudes that impact tobacco use. In 1992, the largest percentage of teens aged 16-17 endorsed two to three “rebelliousness items.” And the largest percentage of teens who did much better than average in school also fell into the two to three rebelliousness item endorsement range! What are these mysterious rebelliousness items? (Hint: check out Table A4 in the 1992 Final Report http://library.ucsd.edu/dc/object/bb38582123)

In 1990, over 90% of both girls and boys rated “Girls controlling weight” as the number one health concern among California teens, well above “Dangers of drunk driving” and “Boys controlling weight.”

The smoking information comes from the ongoing California Tobacco Survey, a survey of California residents about smoking that takes place approximately every three years. The years 1992-2008 are now available in the Library’s Digital Collections, and contain not only reports, but the actual data, which can be downloaded and explored.

Posted On: July 22, 2015

Join us on Tuesday, July 28 in the Geisel Library’s Seuss Room Foyer from 11 am – 1 pm to celebrate and buy a copy of the new Dr. Seuss book, What Pet Should I Get?. The book, based on recently discovered materials given to the Library’s Mandeville Special Collections’ Dr. Seuss Collection, will be released by Random House on July 28. Copies of the book will be sold by the UC San Diego Bookstore and some of the original materials used in the book will be on display. “Boids & Beasties,” the annual exhibition of original drawings and sketches by Theodor Seuss Geisel, is also currently on view and includes original materials from the new book. Lemonade and animal crackers will be served!

Posted On: July 20, 2015

San Diego philanthropist, literacy advocate, and longtime supporter of the University of California, San Diego, Audrey Geisel, has donated $3 million toward the renovation of the university’s iconic flagship building, Geisel Library. The gift kicks off a major initiative to transform and revitalize the interior public spaces of Geisel Library to meet the evolving needs of students, faculty, and other Library users in the digital age. Geisel’s gift will be used to renovate and update the entry level of Geisel Library, which opened in 1972 as the university’s Central Library. In 1995, the William Pereira-designed building—known by many as “the spaceship”—was named in honor of Audrey and her late husband, Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, in recognition of a major gift from Audrey Geisel.

“We are extremely grateful to Audrey for this generous lead gift to launch the Geisel Library Revitalization Initiative,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “This will ensure that Geisel Library, a campus and architectural landmark, continues to provide the outstanding services and spaces needed to support today’s students and scholars, as well as members of the local community. Audrey has been one of the university’s most generous and stalwart supporters, and with this gift, the Geisel legacy will continue to shape our future success as a world-class university.”

The UC San Diego Library is ranked amongst the top 25 academic research libraries in the nation, with more than seven million digital and print volumes, journals, and multimedia materials. Library resources provide the foundation of knowledge for many of the groundbreaking discoveries, treatments, and intellectual achievements for which UC San Diego has become renowned. While many of the Library’s information resources are available online 24/7, more than 1.5 million people stream through the Geisel Library and the Biomedical Library buildings each year, and the Library’s vast resources and services are accessed more than 5.7 million times via the Library website.

“When I first saw the space-age building that is now Geisel Library, I was enamored with its iconic design, as well as its scholarly and literacy mission,” said Geisel. “Decades later, I am delighted with the impact the Library has had on countless students, researchers, and scholars, as well as on San Diego. It gives me great joy to help ensure that Geisel Library will continue to attract and fuel students, scholars, and community members who are passionate about learning.”

While the UC San Diego Library has long been recognized as a leader in digitizing its collections and in harnessing technology to advance scholarship, the 285,000 square-foot facility—which is more than four decades old—has become dated. As the Library’s collections continue to shift from print to digital, spaces no longer needed to house books and journals are increasingly needed for collaborative learning and research.

“There is no way to convey how much Audrey’s gift means to the UC San Diego Library,” said Brian E. C. Schottlaender, The Audrey Geisel University Librarian. “I am thrilled with the positively transformative effect this will have on the Geisel Library public spaces, and how much this will benefit the campus and local communities. Audrey’s incredible support through the existing Geisel Library Endowments has ensured a level of excellence in our collections and staff, and helped maintain our ranking as a top 25 research library during a time of significant budget cuts. This current use gift will launch an exciting new chapter in our evolution, ensuring that Geisel Library continues to function as a vital and innovative facility that enables our talented students, faculty, and staff to excel.”

The main (2nd) floor of Geisel Library is the most active learning space in the Library. Based on ongoing assessments of user needs and traffic patterns, this floor will be redesigned to more effectively support the various approaches to study, research, and learning of today’s students and scholars. The major renovation will include a reconfigured lobby entrance; a significant upgrade to the existing Learning Commons; a new Research Commons; a café and lounge; the implementation of new technologies; and significant enhancements to furniture, carpeting and finishes.

“Our library facilities are being used now, more than ever,” said Schottlaender. “But, like many libraries across the nation, the Library is being used in different ways than it has in the past. Our hope is that this generous gift will lead to more support, so we can upgrade other public spaces in the building in the near future. I would urge others to join Audrey in helping fulfill this exciting initiative to transform Geisel Library into a library that is well-equipped for 21st century learners. We want this amazing building to be as inspiring on the inside as it is bold on the outside.”

Geisel Library is also home to the Dr. Seuss Collection—in Mandeville Special Collections—with more than 12,000 original drawings, sketches, manuscript drafts, books, notebooks, photographs, and other memorabilia documenting the creative achievements of Theodor Seuss Geisel. In 1992, additional space was added to the Geisel Library building with the construction of subterranean wings by Gunnar Birkerts & Associates, preserving the silhouette of the building’s striking geometric design.

Renovation of the entry level of Geisel Library is the first stage of the Geisel Library Revitalization Initiative, with additional major enhancements slated for the 1st and 8th floors. Private support is essential to accomplishing this ambitious undertaking. For further information on the initiative, please click here or contact Julie Sully, Director of Development for the Library, at jsully@ucsd.edu or 858-822-4554.

Visitors to the UC San Diego Library are requested to respect the needs of the campus community by minimizing interference, not blocking traffic, and keeping visits short. Tour groups are restricted to the 1st and 2nd floors of the building. Floors 4–8 are designated for quiet study.

Posted On: July 9, 2015

Join us for this special event, as we celebrate the Toy Piano Festival’s 15th Anniversary.

Sunday, August 30, 2015 @ 3:00pm

Monday, August 31, 2015 @ 12:00pm (noon)

Seuss Room, Geisel Library

Since 2000, the UC San Diego Library has hosted a Toy Piano Festival on or around September 5 to honor the birthday of John Cage, the first composer to write a “serious” work for toy pianos.

This year’s festival will feature “the Queen of Boogie-Woogie,” Sue Palmer, who returns to the stage to perform an excellent array of toy piano pieces in addition to several other UC San Diego alumni composers. In honor of the event’s 15th anniversary, a special award will be presented to nearby music store, La Jolla Music, for their years supporting the local community’s musical and instrumental needs.

The toy piano collection at Geisel Library consists of actual instruments, commissioned scores, and extant literature and recordings. In May of 2001, the Library of Congress issued a subject heading and call number for toy piano scores because of the activities of the Toy Piano Collection at Geisel Library. The call number is: M 175 T69.

For more information about the event, contact Scott Paulson at (858) 822-5758 or spaulson@ucsd.edu.

Posted On: July 8, 2015

Need to brainstorm alternate solutions to a problem? Want to draw out diagrams or work out equations visually? There are now multiple mobile whiteboards dispersed throughout floors one and two of the Geisel Library for student use while studying.

The Geisel East Learning Commons has a rack of hand held whiteboards that are available to be used in that area. Students may check out white board markers and erasers from the Circulation desk in the front lobby of Geisel Library.

Posted On: July 7, 2015

For the 14th year, the UC San Diego Library will celebrate the history, wonder and awe of Paper Theatre, a popular Victorian era theatrical souvenir and educational toy. Our weekend-long exhibit on August 7, 8 and 9 from noon – 3:oo p.m. in the Seuss Room of Geisel Library will include a large collection of colorful scale model theatres. Special Paper Theatre performances will also be held on Friday, August 7 at 12:30 p.m., and at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9.

About Paper Theatre

Paper theatre, also called “Table Top Theatre” or “Toy Theatre”, dates back to the Victorian Era. At that time, theatrical playhouses printed fine souvenir posters showing architectural elements of their theatre. Aspects of set design were shown on the posters along with drawings of actual actors of the company (shown in costume from a specific production). Condensed scripts were included in these poster kits and paper doll players were soon seen in lively productions on a table top at home.

Families and hobbyists would cut out the proscenium, the curtain, etc., to create a scale model of that specific theatre. These paper theatre hobbyists ended up learning much about scenic design, lighting effects, sound effects, music, acting, directing, choreography—all through this paper theatre toy, and many aspects of theatre were introduced to producers and performers of all ages.

Theatre-goers often bought these paper theatre posters as souvenirs promoting an actual production they saw. Those living far from the theatre district ordered paper theatres from a catalog and had them delivered to their small town as an educational toy for the household. A lot of cutting and pasting was involved but hours of educational fun and artistic exploration would follow. The many two-dimensional layers of a paper theatre add up to something with surprising depth and charm.

Posted On: July 7, 2015

The UC San Diego Library recently acquired the Scientific American Archive and Scientific American Supplement and Builders Edition Archive collections, so we now have the complete run of the magazine going back to 1845. You can browse the issues or search the full text. Note: if you end up with search results from all of the Nature journals, select the Scientific American link to the right of the results list to narrow.